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Icy conditions cause delays for GTA commuters

Some TTC buses were re-routed due to icy roads, while GO trains and buses were backed up Monday evening

Environment Canada is warning that a severe drop in temperature Monday night will create dangerous driving conditions throughout the GTA. (Rene Johnston / Toronto Star) | Order this photo

A woman walks bundled up in cold weather gear past the shop windows of Nucreation fashion shop near Gerrard and Coxwell on Monday. There are dire weather warnings for bitterly cold temperatures, freezing rain and snowfall for the next few days. (Richard Lautens / Toronto Star) | Order this photo

Ripley the chihuahua wears his winter boots while out on a morning walk at Bathurst St. and Queens Quay on Monday. (Bernard Weil / Toronto Star) | Order this photo

Janice Chen salts the sidewalk at the store fronts on Spadina Ave. and Oxford St. on Monday. (Bernard Weil / Toronto Star) | Order this photo

The Zamboni finishes the ice at Nathan Phillips Square on Monday. (Rene Johnston / Toronto Star) | Order this photo

Queensway Canadian Tire salt display before the big freeze in Toronto on Monday. (Randy Risling / Toronto Star) | Order this photo

Icy roads have caused some TTC buses to re-route during the rush hour commute, while GO trains and buses are backed up as temperatures plunge and a wind chill alert envelops the Toronto area.

The provincial transportation ministry was also reporting very slow moving traffic on the westbound Gardiner Expressway/QEW and collision delays on Hwy. 403 eastbound and Hwy. 404 northbound.

Strong winds of up to 70 km/h were forecast to push temperatures toward -40C overnight Monday, according to Environment Canada, setting up slick road conditions in the GTA.

“If people are unaware or oblivious to the road conditions, they could be getting into serious issues with collisions or losing control of the vehicle and striking the guard rail,” said Toronto police Const. Clinton Stibbe.

He added that Tuesday morning’s commute could be even more treacherous due to low overnight temperatures, especially on elevated thoroughfares like the Gardiner Expressway and Hwys. 401 and 427.

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“It is going to be problematic,” he said.

For real-time updates on the traffic and weather, click here to follow the Star’s live blog. Mobile users can click here.

The City of Toronto issued an extreme cold weather alert on Monday morning, urging homeless people to find shelter. Environment Canada also warned of an extreme wind chill for Toronto, with “cold brisk winds” pushing the mercury into the -35C to -40C range.

Temperatures like that can freeze exposed skin in less than five minutes, the weather office says.

“Leave extra space between vehicles for extra braking distance. Pay attention and focus on driving,” said CAA spokesperson Silvana Aceto in an emailed statement. She also advised drivers to park indoors overnight if possible, ensure tanks are left at least half-full and to check tire pressure.

CAA of South Central Ontario had responded to 4,000 calls on Monday as of 2 p.m., surpassing their average winter daily volume of 3,000, said Aceto.

By Monday evening, a slew of delays and cancellations had also affected GO Transit service in the GTA, with slippery roads, icy rail switches and signal problems affecting service, said spokesperson Vanessa Thomas.

Riders should check the GO Transit website for updates on their trips home Monday evening, Thomas said.

“Currently buses across the system are experiencing delays of up to 45 minutes,” she said, while the GO website showed trains were backed by as much as 20 minutes.

“We’re advising customers that they may continue to experience challenges due to the cold weather,” Thomas said.

The TTC’s 77 Swansea and 122 Graydon Hall buses was diverting both ways Monday evening due to icy patches at on Windermere Ave. and Graydon Hall Dr. respectively, the transit commission announced on Twitter.

Beyond these delays, the TTC isn’t expecting any serious issues Monday evening, but spokesperson Brad Ross said that could change as the temperatures drop overnight.

“It’s going to be slow going. It always is when the weather is inclement. We operate in the same traffic conditions as every body else,” said Ross.

Anticipating the deep cold overnight Monday, subway trains will be stored in the TTC tunnels to avoid freezing, while de-icing fluid will be dumped on the lines’ third rails to ensure service gets started smoothly on Tuesday, Ross said.

He added that it’s too soon to say whether frigid temperatures will knock street cars out of service, as happened last Friday, with 50 cars replaced by bus service due to the cold. However, the TTC is prepared to send in buses for streetcar routes should they be needed, he said.

Due to the frosty spell, all of southern Ontario from Windsor to Cornwall and up to Algonquin Park was under a flash freeze, wind chill and cold weather alert on Monday.

Parts of Dufferin, Halton, Peel, York-Durham, Waterloo and surrounding counties were also under a snow squall alert Monday morning.

To keep pipes from freezing, the City of Toronto advised, keep the lowest tap in your house or condo running at a trickle.

Rain, freezing rain and snow battered Toronto and the GTA overnight Sunday, just two weeks after freezing rain knocked out power to 300,000 Toronto Hydro customers.

Pearson airport cancelled 128 departing and 166 arriving flights as of 3 p.m. Monday. Nine incoming morning flights to Billy Bishop airport were cancelled, but there were the weather did not affect the afternoon schedule, according to the airport’s website.

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